PROVIDENCE, R.I. –Secretary of State A. Ralph Mollis is urging South Kingstown High School students to register to vote during a drive at school Thurs., Feb. 9, from 10: 45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. in the cafeteria.
"People who register to vote are more likely to become engaged and effective citizens of Rhode Island. Some of these individuals will become our next generation of leaders. Now is the time to reach out to them," said Mollis.
Dawn Piers of the South Kingstown Board of Canvassers coordinated the drive in partnership with the state Board of Elections and school administrators.
"I am grateful to our partners for their commitment to this important initiative. Our success will pay dividends for decades to come as these new voters cast ballots election after election," said Mollis.
The outreach is part of his "Voters in the Classroom" initiative, which targets high school and college students. Mollis plans to stage voter registration drives at Rhode Island high schools and colleges leading up to the 2012 elections.
His emphasis on young people reflects the success of voter registration activities over the past few years. More than 700,000 Rhode Islanders were eligible to vote in the November 2010 election.
"The growth in our state will come from reaching out to newly eligible groups like high school students," said Mollis.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 48.2 percent of eligible 18-to-24-year-old Rhode Islanders were registered to vote on Election Day 2010. Just 39.2 percent actually voted in that election.
Students who can't wait for a voter registration drive to come to their school are still in luck. Mollis posts voter registration forms and answers to frequently asked questions on his website.
The Secretary of State's office prepares the ballots for all federal, state and municipal elections held in Rhode Island. In addition, the office maintains the state's central voter registration system and distributes handbooks that explain how to run for office, how to register to vote and how to vote.
Secretary of State Mollis is committed to making it easier to vote, helping businesses grow and making government more open and accessible. For more information about high school voter registration, visit sos.ri.gov.
MEDIA CONTACT -- Chris Barnett at 222-4293 or cbarnett@sos.ri.gov
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